In 2023, the number of deaths caused by traffic accidents amounted to approximately 11,628 cases in Vietnam. This indicated a decrease from the previous year. From 2013 to 2021, the number of traffic deaths has gradually declined, then increased dramatically in 2022, with the number of deaths due to crashes double than that in 2021.

Motor-vehicle deaths in the United States have decreased greatly since the 1970s and 1980s. In 2022, there were around 13.8 deaths from motor vehicles per 100,000 population, compared to a rate of 26.8 deaths per 100,000 in 1970. Laws requiring drivers and passengers to wear safety belts and advancements in safety technology in vehicles are major drivers for these reductions.

Motor-vehicle accidents in the U.S.

Americans spend a significant amount of time behind the wheel. Many cities lack convenient and reliable public transportation and especially in rural areas, cars are a necessary means of transportation. In 2020, August was the month with the highest number of fatal crashes, followed by September and June. The deadliest time of day for fatal vehicle crashes is between 6 and 9 p.m., most likely due to the after-work rush hour and more people who are under the influence of alcohol.

Drinking and driving among youth

Drinking and driving remains a relevant problem across the United States and can be especially problematic among younger inexperienced drivers. As of 2017, around 5.5 percent of high school students reported they had driven while under the influence of alcohol. Drinking and driving is more common among males than females and Hispanic males reported drinking and driving more than other races or ethnicities.

The graph displays the number of car accident fatalities by gender in the United States from 2010 to 2022. The x-axis represents the years, labeled from '10 to '22, while the y-axis indicates the number of fatalities. Each year includes data points for both males and females. Male fatalities range from a low of 22,937 in 2011 to a high of 30,964 in 2021. Female fatalities vary between 9,463 in 2014 and 12,135 in 2021. The data consistently shows that male fatalities are higher than female fatalities each year. There is a noticeable upward trend in fatalities for both genders in the later years, particularly in 2020 and 2021.

In 2023, China had recorded about 253,895 injuries in road traffic accidents across the country. Since 2015, there has been a significant increase in the number of people injured in road traffic in China.

In 2023, China recorded 60,028 fatalities in traffic accidents across the country. The number of fatalities has increased from 60,676in the previous year. Road traffic in China The number of road traffic fatalities in China varies greatly from region to region. Guangdong and Hubei had been the provinces with the highest number of traffic fatalities. All located in the eastern coastal area of China, they had also been the regions with the most traffic accidents in 2023. On the contrary, only a small number of fatalities had been reported in central and western regions of China. Reasons for this imbalance may be found in less traffic volume as well as the existence of fewer urban congested areas.Since 2016, the number of casualties and fatalities from traffic accidents in China has increased significantly, reaching 25,3895 injuries and 60,028 deaths in 2023. Nevertheless, traffic accidents have emerged as one of the leading causes of death in China. The primary reasons may be unregulated road works and a lack of awareness among Chinese drivers. The development of neither road infrastructure nor driving behavior in China had been able to keep up with the increasing number of traffic participants and registered cars. As of 2003, only 24 million vehicles had been registered in China, whereas by 2019 that number had skyrocketed to 253.76 million cars. In 2023 alone, the number of newly registered vehicles in China had amounted to around 24.5 million cars.

The number of road-traffic related injuries in the United States has decreased by roughly 17 percent between 2019 and 2020, whereas fatalities increased by almost 8 percent. Between 2010 and 2020, road traffic injuries in the United States grew by nearly 34,000 incidents to some 2.28 million road traffic related injuries in 2020. Over the same period, fatalities also increased by about 5,800. This follows two decades of a general decrease in the amount of traffic-related injuries.

Why are traffic injuries increasing? In the United States, male drivers are behind the wheel in the majority of fatal crashes. Though speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol are often to blame, neither have led to a rise in traffic fatalities in the U.S.: instead, cellphones are primarily the cause. Smartphone ownership has become almost omnipresent in the U.S. since 2010, and drivers are likely to be distracted by texting and using social media. Young drivers are the ones accounting for the highest share of cellphone use fatalities.

Changes in mobility Another reason why fatal accidents are rising in number is that non-occupants’ exposure to risk is also increasing. As residents become more encouraged to walk or cycle in cities, the extra time amongst traffic has led to higher rates of fatalities and injuries amongst cyclists and pedestrians. Lastly, poor infrastructure and lack of awareness by motorists is prevalent in large parts of the United States.

An overall decline in the number of road deaths in Russia was observed from 2007, when the highest volume of road fatalities was recorded countrywide in the given timeframe. The temporary growth of five percent between 2010 and 2012 was followed by a significant drop in the number of incidences over the following years. Namely, the count of road deaths in the country reduced nearly twofold by 2020 relative to the 2012 figures, measuring at 16,152 cases in the last observed period.

Mortality rate and causes of death in Russia   

Mortality rate has been gradually declining since 2000 in Russia, yet it remained greater than the rates measured prior to the 1990s. Even though road accidents were not the major cause of fatalities in the country, roughly 183 thousand residents were reported being injured in road traffic incidents in 2020. The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak at the beginning of 2020 ranked Russia as one of the most affected worldwide. The coronavirus-related mortality rate, nonetheless, was measured significantly lower than in most countries with a somewhat similar number of disease cases.

General outlook   

Despite the fact that road fatalities have been in decline in Russia, the country was listed second by road mortality worldwide after Georgia in 2017. The most significant decline in road death rates among the European countries was recorded in Norway in the same year.

There was an overall decrease in the number of road deaths in Hungary between 2006 and 2023. The highest number of road fatalities in this timeframe occurred in 2006, totaling 1,303 fatalities. In 2023, Hungary recorded 472 road traffic fatalities, marking a decrease compared to the previous year. Traffic accidents in Hungary In 2022, the number of people non fatally injured in road traffic accidents reached 19,540, representing an increase compared to the previous year. As of 2023, the number of road traffic accidents causing personal injury amounted to approximately 14,452. Frequent causes of death Motor vehicle accidents accounted only for 0.5 percent of deaths in Hungary in 2023, making them one of the less frequent causes of death. Malignant neoplasms, however, caused the highest share of deaths in the country, measuring at 31 percent.

Malta MT: Mortality Caused by Road Traffic Injury: per 100,000 People data was reported at 5.500 Number in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 3.900 Number for 2010. Malta MT: Mortality Caused by Road Traffic Injury: per 100,000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 4.400 Number from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2015, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5.500 Number in 2015 and a record low of 3.900 Number in 2010. Malta MT: Mortality Caused by Road Traffic Injury: per 100,000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malta – Table MT.World Bank: Health Statistics. Mortality caused by road traffic injury is estimated road traffic fatal injury deaths per 100,000 population.; ; World Health Organization, Global Status Report on Road Safety.; Weighted average;

Road traffic accidents are accidents in which people are killed or injured or property is damaged as a result of driving on public roads and squares. Only accidents involving personal injury are shown on the map. Accidents that only result in property damage are not shown. The accident atlas contains information from the statistics of road traffic accidents based on reports from the police stations. Accidents for which the police were not called are not included in the statistics. Before the accident coordinates recorded by the police are summarized on the basis of road sections and displayed as points in the accident atlas, they must go through a multi-stage plausibility check process. During this process, individual accidents that do not meet the plausibility requirements can be sorted out. These accidents are not shown in the accident atlas. Fatalities: Persons who died within 30 days as a result of the accident Seriously injured: Persons who were immediately admitted to a hospital for inpatient treatment (at least 24 hours) Minor injuries: All other injuries Accident with other: Accident involving at least one person not mentioned above Transportation was involved, such as a truck, a bus, or a tram

Nearly 3,200 road fatalities were recorded on French roads in 2023, down from around 3,300 deaths in 2022. Road fatalities had fluctuated in France, with the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns helping to bring down the fatality rate in 2020. Alcohol- and speed-related offenses in France Yet, according to a survey conducted by the French National Inter-Ministerial Road Safety Observatory in 2014, 56 percent of the respondents believed that not enough was done to prevent and control drink driving. Further, 69 percent of those surveyed also believed that police enforcement against drug consumption on the road was lacking. Nevertheless, the same institution reported that, in 2015, ten percent of all the road offenses recorded more than 100 times were related to alcohol. Offenses related to speed control accounted for almost 30 percent of all the road offenses. The European perception of road fatalities On the other side of the Rhine, in Germany, where the consumption of alcohol seems to be more widespread – with around 137 liters of alcoholic beverage per capita in 2014 - the authorities seem to have managed to reduce the number of road traffic fatalities more efficiently. It went from 5,091 deaths reported in 2006 to 2,944 deaths in 2022. From a European perspective, 62 percent of Europeans believed that driving under alcohol or drugs influence was the main general cause of fatal accidents on the road in their respective countries.

The number of fatal road traffic injuries in Slovakia increased by 19 traffic fatalities (+7.69 percent) in 2022. In total, the number of fatal road traffic injuries amounted to 266 traffic fatalities in 2022. This increase was preceded by a declining number of fatal road traffic injuries.Road fatalities refer to the number of people killed during a road accident involving one or more motor vehicles. These deaths can include drivers, passengers, other road users, and pedestrians who died on publicly-accessible roadways.Find more key insights for the number of fatal road traffic injuries in countries like Czechia, Hungary, and Poland.

The number of fatal road traffic injuries in Germany increased by 226 traffic fatalities (+8.82 percent) since the previous year. In total, the number of fatal road traffic injuries amounted to 2,788 traffic fatalities in 2022. This increase was preceded by a declining number of fatal road traffic injuries.Road fatalities refer to the number of people killed during a road accident involving one or more motor vehicles. These deaths can include drivers, passengers, other road users, and pedestrians who died on publicly-accessible roadways.

The number of traffic accident deaths in Germany has decreased considerably in the last decade, compared to the 1990s, and especially the 1960s and 1970s. Around 2,839 deaths were recorded in 2023. Recording these numbers takes on particular significance in the country that is home to the Autobahn and some of the most famous cars in the world. Staying safe The reduction of road traffic deaths in Germany may be due to a number of positive factors with long-term potential: progressive automotive engineering, increased regulation and legislation regarding road traffic and driving, as well as expanded driving safety resources and training. Another reason may simply be less people owning cars, and therefore less drivers being out on the road. Traffic accidents happen for various reasons, be it a bad combination of circumstances or the human factor. Certain choices and consumption habits significantly increase the risk of a car accident, a common example being driving after drinking. Into the future The addition of e-scooters to German city traffic in particular, alongside various vehicles, motorcycles and bikes in often already crowded areas, poses a new challenge for preventing accidents and fatalities. There were over 8,400 injuries recorded in 2023 which were the result of an e-scooter crash. That same year, 21 fatalities also occurred following an e-scooter accident. Increasing mobility and various transportation modes attached to it will definitely keep the issue of road safety on the map.

In 2023, 3,039 people died in road accidents in Italy, a decrease of 120 deaths compared to the previous year. This statistic breaks down this figure by region where the accidents happened. Lombardy was the region with the highest number of fatal road crashes, with 377 deaths. In Lazio, where the largest city and capital of the country is located, Rome, 346 deadly road accidents occurred in 2023.

In the period of consideration, the number of road traffic fatalities in Romania peaked in 2008, totaling 3,065 deaths. Despite minor oscillations, the number of victims recorded a declining trend. Thus, by 2020 road traffic fatalities reached 1,646. This represented a decrease of roughly 40 percent compared to 2008. By contrast, the number of non-fatal road traffic injuries decreased to almost 28 thousand in 2020.

 Main causes of road traffic accidents  

In Romania, the main cause of road traffic accidents was speeding. At the same time, drinking among drivers and pedestrians who were jaywalking was still an important concern in 2019. As a consequence, there were 1,452 male car drivers under the influence of alcohol involved in car accidents in which at least one person was injured. Just as important, more than six thousand car accidents in 2019 happened because of collisions due to crossing or turning.

Crimes against road traffic safety 

Compared to the last decade, in Romania, as well as worldwide, there has been a change regarding the types of crimes committed. As a result, traditional crimes such as offenses against one’s physical and mental integrity, along with offenses against one’s property decreased. Instead, corruption offenses and crimes against road traffic safety became more common. In 2018, crimes against safety on public roads accounted for 37.6 percent of the total share of criminal law convictions.

The number of fatal road traffic injuries in Portugal increased by 25 traffic fatalities (+4.66 percent) in 2021. In total, the number of fatal road traffic injuries amounted to 561 traffic fatalities in 2021. This increase was preceded by a declining number of fatal road traffic injuries.Road fatalities refer to the number of people killed during a road accident involving one or more motor vehicles. These deaths can include drivers, passengers, other road users, and pedestrians who died on publicly-accessible roadways.Find more key insights for the number of fatal road traffic injuries in countries like Greece, Italy, and Finland.

Between two and three million people are injured in motor vehicle crashes on U.S. roads every year. In 2019, the injury rate per 100,000 population stood at 835, slightly above the previous year's level.